Julia Reece
Chair, Graduate Admissions Committee
Associate Professor
Sedimentology, Sediment Mechanics
Research
My research interests include the mechanics and transport behavior of marine sediments, early diagenesis, submarine slope failure, and shale gas/oil reservoirs. I am particularly interested in the evolution of petrophysical parameters during burial and the controls on permeability and compressibility. My group uses field samples and data, mostly acquired through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), and employs a suite of laboratory techniques including sedimentological and geotechnical experimentation (grain size, Atterberg Limits, resedimentation, and uniaxial compression tests). We also use imaging techniques like petrography and scanning electron microscopy to analyze microstructures of marine sediments and shale gas/oil formations.
Research Group Website
Selected Publications
[18] *Eakin, A.L., Reece, J.S., Milliken, K.L., Locklair, R., Rathbun, A. (accepted). Chemostratigraphic facies as indicators of cement diagenesis in mudrocks of the Permian Spraberry and Wolfcamp Formations, west Texas, submitted for publication to AAPG Bulletin.
[17] *Mills, N.T., Reece, J.S., Tice, M.M., Sylvan, J.B. (2022). Hydromechanical effects of micro-organisms on fine-grained sediments during early burial, Earth and Space Science, 9, e2021EA002037, doi:10.1029/2021EA002037.
[16] Reece, J.S. (2021). The impact of grain size on the hydromechanical behavior of mudstones, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 22(8), e2021GC009732, doi:10.1029/2021GC009732
[15] *Mills, N.T., Reece, J.S., Tice, M.M. (2021). Clay minerals modulate early carbonate diagenesis, Geology, 49, doi:10.1130/G48713.1.
[14] Daigle, H., Reece, J.S., Flemings, P.B. (2020). A modified Swanson method to determine permeability from mercury intrusion data in marine muds, Marine and Petroleum Geology, 113, doi:10.1016./j.marpetgeo.2019.104155.
[13] Daigle, H., Reece, J.S., Flemings, P.B. (2019). Evolution of the percolation threshold in muds and mudrocks during burial, Geophysical Research Letters, 46, doi:10.1029/2019GL083723.
[12] Casey, B., Reece, J.S., Germaine, J.T. (2019). One-Dimensional Normal Compression Laws for Resedimented Mudrocks, Marine and Petroleum Geology, 103, 397-403, doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.02.023.
[11] Wu, W., Reece, J.S., Gensterblum, Y., and Zoback, M.D. (2017). Permeability evolution of slowly slipping faults in shale reservoirs, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL075506.
[10] Flemings, P.B., Reece, J.S., Ditkof, J., Atkins, C.C., Sawyer, D.E. (2015). Data Report: Particle Size Analysis of Sediments in the Nankai Trough, IODP Expedition 319 Hole C009A, In: Saffer, D., McNeill, L., Byrne, T., Araki, E., Toczko, S., Eguchi, N., Takahashi, K., and the Expedition 319 Scientists, Proc. IODP, 319: Tokyo (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International, Inc.), doi: 10.2204/iodp.proc.319.203.2015.
[9] Daigle, H. and Reece, J.S. (2015). Permeability of two-component granular materials, Transport in Porous Media, Vol. 106, p. 523-544, doi:10.1007/s11242-014-0412-6.
[8] Casey, B., Germaine, J.T., Flemings, P.B., Reece, J.S., Gao, B., and Betts, W. (2013). Liquid limit as a predictor of mudrock permeability, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 44, p. 256-263, doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2013.04.008.
[7] Reece, J.S., Flemings, P.B., and Germaine, J.T. (2013). Data Report: Permeability, compressibility, and microstructure of resedimented mudstone from IODP Expedition 322, Site C0011, In: Saito, S., Underwood, M.B., Kubo, Y., and the Expedition 322 Scientists, Proc. IODP, 322: Tokyo (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International, Inc.), doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.322.205.2013.
[6] Reece, J.S., Flemings, P.B., Dugan, B., Long, H., and Germaine, J.T. (2012). Permeability-porosity relationships of shallow mudstones in the Ursa Basin, northern deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth, 117, B12102, doi:10.1029/2012JB009438.
[5] Day-Stirrat, R.J., Schleicher, A.M., Schneider, J., Flemings, P.B., Germaine, J.T., van der Pluijm, B.A. (2011). Preferred orientation of phyllosilicates: Effects of composition and stress on resedimented mudstone microfabrics, Journal of Structural Geology, Vol. 33, No. 9, p. 1347-1358, doi:10.1016/j.jsg.2011.06.007.
[4] Schneider, J., Flemings, P.B., Day-Stirrat, R.J., Germaine, J.T. (2011). Insights into pore-scale controls on mudstone permeability through resedimentation experiments, Geology, Vol. 39, No. 11, p. 1011-1014, doi:10.1130/G32475.1.
[3] Schneider, J., Flemings, P.B., Dugan, B., Long, H., and Germaine, J.T. (2009). Overpressure and consolidation near the seafloor of Brazos-Trinity Basin IV, Northwest Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth, 114, B05102, doi:10.1029/2008JB005922.
[2] Winkelmann, D., Geissler, W., Schneider, J., Stein, R. (2008). Dynamics and timing of the Hinlopen/Yermak Megaslide north of Spitsbergen, Arctic Ocean, Marine Geology, 250, 34-50, doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2007.11.013.
[1] Dugan, B., Flemings, P.B., Urgeles, R., Sawyer, D., Iturrino, G.J., Moore, J.C., Schneider, J. (2007). Physical Properties of Mass Transport Complexes in the Ursa Region, Northern Gulf of Mexico (IODP Expedition 308) Determined from Log, Core, and Seismic Data, Proceedings 2007 Offshore Technology Conference: Paper OTC 18704.
Education
Ph.D. Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA 2011
Diplom (M.S.) Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 2006
B.S. Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany 2004
Awards
2021 Dean's Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching
2020 NSF CAREER awardee
2019-2020 TAMU Montague – Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar
2018-2019 IODP Ocean Discovery Lecturer
2010 Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship Award, Consortium for Ocean Leadership ($28,000)
Courses
GEOL 210 - Geological Communication
GEOL 306 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
GEOL 311 - Principles of Geological Writing
GEOL 689 - Geofluids
